Have a Tooth Replaced with a Dental Implant

Posted July 22, 2016.

Your teeth are held firmly in their sockets by a series of small but strong periodontal ligaments. Even though nature has designed your teeth to hold steadfast, there are still times when a hard fall, blow to the face or other accident can knock one of your teeth out. This is a traumatic event, so it’s important to stay calm and treat the problem carefully.

Most of the time, some part of a knocked-out tooth remains in the socket and needs to be extracted. In time, your gums will heal and your dentist, Dr. Scott R. Adishian, can start the process of replacing the knocked-out tooth with a dental implant.

First, Dr. Scott R. Adishian will examine your gums and take a few X-rays to determine the amount of available bone structure. If the extraction procedure left you with insufficient bone structure, he might recommend that you receive a bone graft to restore sufficient bone structure so you can anchor a dental implant.

Then, he will refer you to an oral surgeon to perform the implant procedure. It is usually performed on an outpatient basis and it requires you to be deeply sedated. This means that you will need to have someone drive you to and from the appointment.

During the procedure, a small incision will be made in your gums to gain direct access to the bone. A narrow channel will be made in the bone and then a titanium abutment is screwed into place. Titanium is known to be biologically safe and will eventually fuse to your bones to create a very strong anchor.

Once your gums have healed and the titanium abutment has fused with the surrounding bone tissue, your dentist will fit you for a dental crown that is made of either porcelain, gold or base metal alloys.

If one of your teeth has been knocked out, you should call Dr. Scott R. Adishian as soon as possible at 626-796-3700 to explore your chances of having a dental implant in Arcadia, California.